Whether you’re compensating for a lack of torage space, partitioning a room or looking for new ways to spice up interiors, room dividers offer an attractive, functional solution.

“You can use them in a skinny, long area or to separate the living room from the dining room,” says Lois Gries, a Chicago-based designer for the ASID (American Society of Interior Designers).

Designer Rebecca Purcell, for example, uses an antique-pressed leather screen in her New York City apartment. “I have some boxes stacked up back there,” she says, laughing. “Room dividers are a great way to cover things you don’t want to be seen.”

If the idea of dividers interests you but the traditional accordion screen doesn’t, check out what’s new on the market. Dividers now come in a variety of materials, shapes and sizes to fit personal tastes.

Try these easy weekend projects to help divide your space:

Curtains

Buy heavy fabric measured long enough to reach the floor.

Suspend by threading a rope or cord through a hem or curtain rings and attach to opposing walls using decorative hooks. For a finished look, install a hospital-style track.

Folding screens

Create a wooden screen by joining two sets of hinged closet doors with another set of hinges. Decorate with découpage, wallpaper or a textured paint.

Add shelves to hold picture frames. Even old wood-framed screen doors can work. Remove the screen and replace with fabric stapled to the wood or suspended from a tension rod.

Hanging photographs

Enlarge your favorite Kodak moment to at least 18"x24”, and frame it. Hang the new divider from the ceiling using an S-hook and a chrome chain. To keep the structure from twisting, hang something heavy off the bottom, like a little sandbag or an antique iron.

Lanterns

Hang an Asian paper lantern measuring at least 5'x6' from your ceiling. For additional function, wire it to a light bulb, and you’ll gain some mood lighting in two spaces.